Syllabus

Instructor

• Dr. Branislav K. Nikolic
  • Email: bnikolic@udel.edu
  • Web: http://web.physics.udel.edu/about/directory/faculty/branislav-k-nikolic
  • Phone: (302) 831-2943
  • Fax: (302) 831-1637

Calendar for Fall 2021

• TuTh: 3:30PM-4:45PM in 118 Sharp Lab.
• Office hours: TuTh 4:45PM-5:15PM in 234 Sharp Lab, or by appointment (send me an email).
• Classes start on Tuesday, August 31 and terminate on Thursday, December 5.
• Exams:
  • Midterm: ???, 3:30PM-4:45PM in 100 Sharp Lab.
• Breaks:
  • Fall recess:
  • Instructor's travel schedule:

Requirements

Lectures: The goal of class time is to emphasize important concepts covered in the textbook, introduce topics not in the text, and highlight common conceptual and problem-solving pitfalls. It is my responsibility to present this material for your coherently and create an environment in which you will feel comfortable participating. It is your responsibility to take me up on my offer to participate and to prepare yourself for the class by reading the material and working sample problems. Attendance for all lectures and discussions is strongly recommended.

Quizzes: Short (formal for the whole class and informal for first person to answer) quizzes will be given in the middle or at the end of the class to test student class participation.

Conventional Track

Homeworks: Homework will be assigned on Tuesdays and it is due by next Tuesday (can be handed in the class or emailed as PDF).

Exams: A midterm exam.

Final project: Instead of final exam, students will conduct a small project (not as complex as for students on research track, see below) via computer simulations (such as by using QuSpin Python-based package) and report on the results in the format of a scientific journal article.

Resarch Track

Students opting to work on Research Track will not have to solve homework problems or take exams, but they will be required to take in-class quizzes. Instead, they will spend whole semester working on an open ended project via computer simulations. If successful, students will receive grade A and could also publish their result in the form of a journal article. If unsuccessful, students will have to take an oral exam at the end of the course.

Academic Honesty: The policy on academic honesty as stated in the Student Guide to University Policies will be followed during this course. In particular: collaboration on homework assignments and in-class activities is permitted and encouraged (unless your instructor explicitly indicates otherwise).

Grading

• The final score will be determined as a weighted average of different class activities listed above using the following formula:
  • Homework - 40%,
  • Quiz - 10 %,
  • Midterm and final exam - 50%.

• Here is a guideline for your final letter grade, as a percentage of the total number of points:
  • 93 - 100 -> A
  • 90 - 92 -> A-
  • 85 - 89 -> B+
  • 80 - 84 -> B
  • 75 - 79 -> B-
  • 70 - 74 -> C+
  • 65 - 69 -> C
  • 60 - 64 -> C-
  • 57 - 59 -> D+
  • 53 - 56 -> D
  • 50 - 52 -> D-
  • < 50 -> F

These numbers may be lowered, depending upon numerous factors, but will not be raised (i.e., if you have 90 average you are assured of at least an A-). The course grades are not curved.

• Grading of overdue homework: Homeworks submitted after the deadline will incur a penalty 5 points for each 24 hour period. After eight days, the maximum possible grade is set at 60 points.

Study Guides

• Main textbook:
  • Yu. V. Nazarov and J. Danon, Advanced Quantum Mechanics: A Practical Guide (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2013). [PDF]

• Supplementary textbooks:
  • G. Grynberg, A. Aspect, and C. Fabre, Introduction to Quantum Optics: From the Semi-classical Approach to Quantized Light (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2010). [PDF]
  • P. Coleman, Introduction to many body physics (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2015). [PDF]

• Journal resources: Selected articles from American Journal of Physics and European Journal of Physics (see also Lectures).